🛡️ Psychological and legal guide for victims of doxxing and cyberbullying

By WAAD – Web Abuse Association Defense

Cyberbullying, doxxing, the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, revenge porn, and digital extortion represent forms of violence of rare intensity today. They affect the most intimate sphere: your identity, your reputation, your private life.

Doxxing, diffusion : que faire ?

This guide has been designed to support you psychologically , but also to provide you with real technical and legal tools . You should know that: ➡️ you are not alone,

➡️ Solutions exist,

➡️ Laws protect you,

➡️ WAAD can help you regain control.

1️⃣ You are not alone: understanding the “digital emotional bubble”

When you are the victim of a cyberattack, you often find yourself in a kind of anxious tête-à-tête with your screen . The phone or computer becomes an open window onto the threat. Every vibration, every email, every notification triggers a surge of stress.

This situation creates what psychologists call an emotional encapsulation effect :

• We feel isolated.

• We imagine that the threat is everywhere.

• We think that everyone sees what we see.

In reality, this feeling is a normal mechanism in the face of a perceived dangerous situation.

💬 The first step is to talk about it.

La première étape est d’en parler.

To a relative, a friend, a family member, a professional, or an association like ours.

You have nothing to be ashamed of. Victims often remain silent for fear of being judged, but silence only strengthens the psychological hold of the abuser.

As soon as you talk about it, you stop being alone. You break the bubble. You regain some control.

2️⃣ The internet is not real life: the two worlds do not intersect

It is essential to understand that what happens online is not visible in your daily life .

In 99% of cases:

• Your loved ones see nothing.

• Your colleagues see nothing.

• Your employer doesn't see anything.

Malicious content remains confined to the internet , in spaces that only internet users actively searching for the topic can reach — which almost never happens.

This distinction is essential to limit the psychological impact:

➡️ Your real life remains intact ,

➡️ Your daily life is not affected,

➡️ Fear does not reflect reality.

3️⃣ You are often the only person who sees the content

It is a statistical fact: the visibility of malicious content is extremely low .

For what ?

• The majority of internet users never search for the name of a stranger .

• Search engines don't index everything.

• The publications are lost among millions of others.

• The human brain scrolls at high speed without paying attention.

  
  

Result :

👉 In most cases, only you (and possibly the attacker) actually see the content.

The impression of exposure is an illusion created by emotional shock.

4️⃣ The sheer volume of information naturally masks attacks

The internet is a continuous stream of information. Every second:

• 6,000 tweets are published.

• 700,000 Instagram stories are created.

• Millions of videos are watched and forgotten.

  
  

In this digital torrent:

• Toxic content is quickly diluted.

• Its lifespan is very short.

• It is quickly replaced by something else.

  
  

Even when content is visible, human attention span is very short : less than 2 seconds per piece of information on average.

What haunts you is immediately forgotten by the rest of the world.

5️⃣ Concrete solutions exist – and they work

The main source of anxiety comes from the impression that "nothing can be done." This is false: there are many effective methods to have content removed, block an aggressor, and protect your data.

Solution juridique: La lois vous protège.

🔒 French rights that protect you

1. Article 226-1 et seq. of the Penal Code

Violation of privacy, dissemination of images or personal information without consent is punishable by 1 year in prison and a €45,000 fine.

2. Article 222-33-3-1 (revenge porn)

Specifically punishes the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. ➡️ Up to 2 years in prison and a €60,000 fine.

3. Article 222-16 (harassment)

It punishes online harassment, even anonymous harassment.➡️ Up to 3 years in prison (5 years in some cases).

4. GDPR – right to erasure

You can demand the immediate deletion of all personal data. Websites and platforms have 30 days to comply.

5. Right to be forgotten (Google)

Allows you to remove your name from search results.

🌍 International protections

🇪🇺 European ePrivacy Regulation

It requires websites operating in Europe to remove illegal data.

🇺🇸 DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)

Allows you to have images, videos, photos belonging to you, including intimate ones, removed.

🌐 ICANN – Abuse Policies

Registrars (OVH, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) are required to act in the event of a serious breach.

💳 Financial intermediaries (Visa, Mastercard, Stripe)

These actors can cut off the revenue of a site hosting illegal content. Very effective against revenge porn sites.

6️⃣ Concrete solutions: what can be done?

🔹 Step 1: Report to the platforms

Social networks, forums, hosting sites… they all have internal procedures.

🔹 Step 2: Send a legal cease and desist letter

With the right legal provisions, withdrawals are often quick.

🔹 Step 3: Activate your GDPR rights

Image rights, removal, delisting.

🔹 Step 4: Contact the hosting provider

Obligated to act in the event of a breach of privacy or an offense.

🔹 Step 5: Contact the registrar and advertising providers

A website that loses its revenue immediately ceases broadcasting .

🔹 Step 6: Contact the CNIL or international organizations

Very effective for sites within the EU.

🔹 Step 7: Filing a complaint or criminal proceedings

For harassment, extortion, invasion of privacy.

🔹 Step 8: Psychological support

Never face this alone:

➡️ specialist psychologists

➡️ helpline,

➡️ associations like ours.

7️⃣ You are the victim. You have nothing to reproach yourself for.

The cybercriminal acts with cowardice, anonymity, and malice. He is the one who breaks the law. He is the one who commits an offense. He is the one who should be ashamed.

You deserve respect, support, and protection.

8️⃣ The usefulness and role of WAAD – Web Abuse Association Defense

Our association was created for one simple reason:

No one should have to face cyber violence alone.

WAAD intervenes at several levels:

1. Psychological support

Listening, guidance, help to overcome isolation, stress management.

2. Technical interventions

• Withdrawal requests

• Content removal

• Actions with social networks, hosting providers and registrars

• Deindexing from search engines

  
  

3. Legal aid

• Drafting legal requests

• Support with your procedures

• Preparing files for the CNIL

• Assistance in filing a complaint

4. Pressure on international actors

Thanks to our technical and legal expertise, we can:

• report to financial intermediaries

• cut off the revenue of malicious websites

• mobilize abuse networks (Cloudflare Abuse, Google Legal, etc.).

  
  

5. Human support

We will not leave you alone. We will move forward alongside you, step by step, until you regain your peace of mind.

You can take back control — and we're here to help you do it.

No digital abuse is permanent. Every piece of content can be fought. Every aggressor can be neutralized. Every victim can be supported.

You are not alone. You are protected by law. Solutions exist. And WAAD is here to support you.

Your safety, dignity and peace of mind are our mission.